LIFE IN THE SEMINARY
The seventeenth in a series of articles by Leo Coshan, describing his experiences testing his vocation in the Societas Verbi Divini (S.V.D. Society of the Divine Word)

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Hello Ramblers !
My apologies for missing the last issue. I was in hed recovering from a slight heart upset. I had had some material to hand but was disinclined to set it out in orde for an article. But all is well again, thanks be to God, so here is some news of our life in the community at the London House of the SVD and also at the MIL (Missionary Institute London, Mill Hill).

There have been some changes in our London comrmmity over the past six months. We have lost three men, leaving our student complement at six. One of the three has gone to the Birmingham diocese and another is studying at Wonersh for the Menevia diocese. The third man (his
name is NOTHarry Lime) is trying to get into one of the Scottish dioceses.

The last academic year ended in mid-June and most of us then dispersed to take up various tasks": Onew.ee'nt on a hospital chaplaincy  training course followed by a week at Taize and a hooliday in Wales where he comes from. Brother Dermot went to Ireland for a long retreat, the Spiritual
Exercises of St , Ignatlus.  As he comes from Derry he also had a holiday there. Two others spent six weeks at Lourdes working at a couple of reception centres and showing pilgrims round. They were able to communicate in French, which, I think, would be essential for that
purpose. Some ef the community had visited our mother house at Steyl in the Netherlnds and thesetwo stayed on continuing to Lourdes via Paris and
taking a holiday at the same time. My job was to work at the Catholic Enquiry
Centre in Hampstead near Golders Green. It was there that I became ill. The
centre is about two miles from our home. Our Rector had recently acquired some bicycles so I began to ride each day Mondays to Fridays. But the forward journey seemed to be mainly uphill and grew into a strain which finally brought on a second heart attack (my first one was three years ago at Liverpool, some of you may remember). Three, weeks was all I managed at the Centre. The work was very interesting. It covered most of the
departments but concentrated on the covenants, making out the claims from the tax people, They have a small and cheerful staff; we became quite friendly and I have visited them since and hope to be able to continue keeping in touch. The course of instruction is under revision. The new scheme is updated and should be an improvement on that currently in use.

Because of my illness I didn't have much of a holiday. However, I was able to
attend a Conference on Renewal in the Religious Life at the Digby stuart College at Roehampton in August. This excellent, meeting lasted 4 days and among the participants were the Abbott from Quarr on the Isle of  Wight and Abbott Parry of Ramsgate. The man speaker was Father Jim Burke, a Dominican from the U.S.A. Father Nicholas Broadbridge, a monk from
Douai Abbey gave us some very good talks on Forgiveness. As is always the case at such gatherings the Eucharistic celebrations were intensely joyful and Spiritfilled with some tremendous singing. There was also a lot of very necessary healing. Religious life can he abrasive and all of us need to
experience the healing and loving touch of the Lord, I met many fine peopLe
totally committed to the Lord's work - missionaries and dedicated religious. It
was great to be together, to pray and to share the varied experiences that God had given to each in his or her vocation. Naturally the emphasis was on prayer and all that goes with it. But it was far from heing a 'holy huddle'. As you know, the Holy Spirit is very dynamic. When God moves his people also move. One cannot stand still while doing the will of +he Lord. It always amazes me, how God can make all things new again. One is never bored listening to Him.

Well, after that week of livlng in the Spirit in a more intense way I spent a
few days with my brother in Surbiton before assembling at Sunningdale near
Ascot for the provincial retreat in early September. The Verona Fathers kindly let me use their house for eight days. The weather was superb, the grounds were beautiful. Though less than a mile from tne town we were sufficiently isolated for the required atmosphere for reflection. The director was our former rector, Father Peter McHugh, who is in charge of Education
at the Generalate in Rome. The whole retreat was one of varied experiences of the Lord working in us both collectively as a community and society -province and also individually. I can safely say it was a week of eventful happenings. We will look back on our 1979 retreat and praise the Lord that we were able to see the need there is to grow in all the directions that God leads us. His ways are so unexpected and out of this world. He always sets uo free while we very often try to reduce both Him and ourselves to a narrow interpreatation of His Will. Then he has to come and free us again. Such is life.

After the retreat we returned to our home in London. The MIL re-opened in mid-September. There are some 120 students this year plus some missionaries who are doing a renewal course - up daying their theology. I am on my last year's courses. Last year I had finished most of the essentials. Now I am filling in a few courses that I had to miss along the way, such as a History of Philosophy from Descartes to the present day, a History of Cathacetics and next semester, fundamental moral theology or ethics. In addition I am following a course on pastoral counselling. This is mainly a basic course on how to conduct interviews, long-term and short-term counselling, and also some psychological insights. It completes the pastoral studies in psycholoay. I find it very interesting and useful.

We have a first-class librarian now at the MIL and our library is making great strides. Before closing let me tell you a little more about my situation within the SVD. During the summer I was advised that I had been acccepted for final vows and had been appointed to the Southern Province of the USA to work in the Black apostolate. Normally I would take up my appointment after ordination to the priesthood, which would be sometime in December 1980.
But, because of my heart trouble, I am being kept back here for a couple of years working at aur parish in Burslem Stoke-on-Trent. My final vows will be sometime between now and the end of this year, ordination to the diaconate next June, when I hope to finish my formal study, then work in a parish until Dec. 1980. Plans for the ordination have not been crystallised yet, but it is probable that I may go to Australia to be ordained as my mother and some of my immediate kin are in Melbourne. The appointment to the USA is, I am given to understand, deferred until such time as my health improves.

And so I must come to the end and concentrate on a couple of essays; one on the German philosopher Leibniz and the other on religious education, the topic being on whether the Creed is a wide enough basis for R.E. Both subjects are highly stimulating.

Keep us all in your prayers, both our London community and the other seminarians at the MIL. It is not that we would seek to influence but that we would become more open to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This, of course, is for all of us. As the psalmist says: "Lord, make me know your ways; teach me your paths. Make me walk in yotrr truth, and teach me: for you. are my God and Saviour" (Ps 25, v.4& 5).

Good walking and joyful sharings to you
all. Keep praising the Lord.

LEO COSHAN, S.V.D.

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In a rather different vein from his usual  contribution, Leo has sent in a rather amusing true story about his pre-seminary days with Post Office telecommunications.

During night duty a colleague of mine triedto report back a cleared fault to the complaining subscriber, but dialled the wrong number - between three and four in the morning. A sleepy voice answered the telephone. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry" said my colleague, "I'm afraid I've got you out of bed". "Oh, that's all right" said the sleepy voice, "I had to get up to answer the phone, anyway". 

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